Agitator.



c. N. EOKLYN.

AGITATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 20, 1912.

Patented July 21, 1914.

CHARLES N. ECKLYN, 0F BACINE,

WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARD ELECTRIC WORKS, 0F RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

AGITATOR.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Jul 21, 1914.

Application filed November 20, 1912. Serial No. 732,430.

To all whom it may concern 9 Be itknown that 1, CHARLES N. ECKLYN, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and .State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Agitators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to agitators and has particular reference to a novel agitator. or mixer for beverages such as are served at soda fountains and similar places. It has been customary for some time to provide mechanically operated agitators for use in mixing certain beverages. Such agitators as commonly constructed include a motor, usually electrically propelled, and a depending stem attached to the shaft of the motor, this stem carrying at its lower end a propeller. When liquids are to be treated by.

this device the glass containing the liquid.

is raised in contact with the base, the stem carrying the propeller extending into the container. There are serious objections to this type of agitaton, the most important being that the stem after use is exposed to the air and accumulates dust. Furthermore, many of the beverages contain milk which remains on the stem and propeller after use. This becomes sour and rancid after a short exposure to the normal heat of the room. In general, such devices are unsanitary an it is to overcome such difliculties that the present agitator has been devised.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention as heretofore stated, is to provide a sanitary agitator. The container itself carrying the mixing propeller and being readily detachable from the motor stem, may be cleansed after each use thereof. Another object is to provide in such a device a novel connection between the motor shaft and the propeller stem.

A still further ob 'ect is to provide a novel and effective gland y means of which leakage from the container may be prevented and one in which lubricant will not be re quired. such lubricant being unsanitary in view of the possibility of its contaminating the contents of the container.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is aside elevation, partly in secd and the flange 23 being securely tion, showing my novel agitator, and, Fig.2 is a detail perspective of the connection between the motor shaft and propeller stem.

1 Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that Imount a motorlO, on a suitable base 11, having an electrical connection 12, controlled by a switch 13. The motor shaft 14 extends verticallyupward, terminating at a point just above a small shelf 15, of glass or other suitable ma,- terial, this shelf resting upon a flange 16 of the upper shaft bearing 17. The shelf 15 is securely held by means of a centering disk 18, having a concentric threaded opening which is adapted to be screwed on the threaded nipple of the motor bearing bracket 17 The container 19 of my invention is preferably constructed of glass and has a threaded lower end. The bottom is open to provide for the insertion of thepropeller' as desired. The base 20 i has an upstanding screw-threaded flange 21, within which the glass 19 is screwed. The base has a concentric threaded opening within which a housing- 22 is seated, this housing having a pcripheral flange 23, which limits its downward travel within the opening. The gland or acking strip 24 is seated on the plane sur ace of the base member20 and after the parts are assembled, the bottom of the glass thrust ge of liquids in thereagainst, possible lea the container is prevented. The housing 22 is perforated and accommodates a bushing 25, within which is seated a propeller shaft 26, carrying at its upper end a propeller 27 A collar 28 is pinned to the shaft and a further collar 29, also pinned tothe shaft, provides a seat for a coiled spring 30, the other end of the spring being held by a hollowcap 31, adapted to fit over the end of the shaft 14. The shaft 14 is provided with a pin 14, this pin registering with a cutaway portion 32, in the cap 31.. If preferred, the cap may have only one or more depending lugs disposed int-he path of the pin 14, when the cap is in place. This provides for the rotation of the ca and of the pro ller 27 through the me ium of the spring 30 and propeller shaft 26. The purpose of providing a helical sfpring is to assure the proper operation 0 the propeller shaft 26 wit out binding even though the container may not be accurately positioned above the motor shaft;- The spring provides in eflect a universal joint or Wobbler. V In order to obviate the possibility of escape of liquids around the propeller shaft 26, I provide a gland or packing member 33, which-is hollow or cup-shaped, havingan opening for the passage of the shaft and provided with a flange 34, perforated to accommodate the adjusting screws 35. These screws are threaded and adapted to be seated in the housing 22. On the shanks of the screws are carried compression springs 36, these springs normally thrusting the gland against the collar 28. Liquids such as milk, small quantities of which may escape around the shaft 26, will be prevented from further escaping and will in addition, provide a lubricant for the shaft. Thus no oil or grease is necessary for the proper operation of the movable parts.

It will-be seen from the above description that the glass and its base 20 may be readily lifted from ofl the motor unit, washed and sterilized as desired, then connected to the motor by the simple act of placing the base upon the centering disk 18.v The cap 31, because of this universal connection, will adapt itself to the shaft and by turning the switch the agitating may proceed as desired. The object of screw-threading the lower end of the glass will be apparent. glass is broken, it may be readily unscrewed and replaced by another without disturbing Iion any Way the mechanism carried by the ase.

The mechanism described is extremely simple and will not readily get out of order. It may be changed or modified in many ways and such modifications as are Within the scope of the appended claims I consider to be within the spirit of my invention.

I claim: w 1 v 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a liquid container having a removable bottom wall, an agitator carried by said removable wall, the shaft controlling said agitator projecting beneath said wall, a driving element having an upwardly projecting shaft, and means for disengageably uniting said shafts, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a liquid container having a removable bottom wall, a propeller rotatably mounted in said bottom we a shaft connected to said propeller and projecting below said wall, a driving motor having an Assuming the upwardly projecting shaft, and means for flexibly mterengaging said shafts, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, a driving element havingan upwardly projected driving shaft, a container, a propeller mounted within said container, driving means for said propeller, said drivingmeans being projected through the bottom wall of said container, means for disengageably connecting said propeller shaft with the shaft of said driving element, and a universal joint interposed between said shafts, substantially as describe 4. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, a driving element having an upwardly projecting shaft, a container provided with a base, means for centering said base with relation to said driving element, a propeller within said container, a driving shaft for said propeller, said shaft being projected through the bottom of said container, and means for disengageably uniting the shaft of said driving element and said propeller shaft, substantially as described.

.5. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, a container having an opening in its lower end, a base, means for detachably uniting said container and base, an agitator carried by said base, a shaft for said propeller, said shaft being projected through the open lower end of said container, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, a container having an open end, a base, means for detachably uniting said container and base, a housing screwed in said base and projecting through the open end of said container, an agitator I having a shaft carried by said housing, and

a spring-operated gland acting to maintain a fluid-tight connection between the interior of said housing and said shaft, substantially as described.

7. A device of the class described, comprisin in combination, an open-ended screwthrea ed container, a base having screw threads and adapted to accommodate said container, and an agitator carried 'by said .base and normally projected through the open end of saidf'container, substantially as described.

CHARLES N. ECKLYN.

I Witnesses: EMMA THOMPSON, RUssELL H. BLACK. 

